Although Manchester City won the Premier League last season, it is fair to say that they weren’t the most entertaining team in England. That honour went to Liverpool, who displayed some scintillating displays of gung-ho attacking football. While it was their naivety that eventually cost them the title, the fact that they were able to play, without any inhibition showed that there is still some space for free-flowing attacking football.
What the Reds managed to do, was nothing short of remarkable. In the matter of just a solitary season, the Reds went from being a club that finished seventh, to one that was unlucky not to win the League. One of the main reasons for that was their talismanic Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez. The 27-year-old striker was in unstoppable form as he scored 31 League goals and created 12 more on his way to being voted as the League’s Player of the Year.
Although there were question marks over whether Suarez would stay or not last summer, he answered all his critics on the pitch. The Uruguayan led the club into the Champions League once again and proved once and for all that even with all of his antics, he is still one of the best players in the world. Although the Reds were able to keep a hold of him last summer, they were unable to do so, this time around.
Suarez’s move to Barcelona was welcomed by some Liverpool fans, who considered his antics too much and claimed that he was a calamity waiting to happen, while others were displeased with his departure, for they knew that the club was losing out on one of Europe’s finest strikers. Whatever the public perception, the undeniable fact is that he is going to be missed at Anfield and how the club respond to his loss will surely determine how they fare this time around.
So far, the club seem to have invested the money wisely. Instead of replacing Suarez the player, which would have been nigh on impossible, the club have sought to replace their style and focus less on one individual and more on a collection of attackers, who can create and score with equal aplomb.
While the arrival or Adam Lallana and Lazar Markovic adds variety to their attack, the club have only signed a solitary striker so far. And although Divock Origi is a Red, he will continue to ply his trade in France this season and that means that the Reds look set to start the season with just two senior strikers in Daniel Sturridge and Rickie Lambert.
While the acquisition of Origi shows that the club’s future is certainly in good hands, what the Reds need more than anything else is a proven goal scorer, right here and now. The arrival of Rickie Lambert gives the Reds an option that they didn’t otherwise have, but the Englishman is more of a creator than a scorer. What the Reds need is a short-term stop gap solution up front.
And that is precisely the reason why Samuel Eto’o might not be a bad option for the Reds. While it is true that the Cameroonian striker isn’t the player he once was, the fact is that he is currently without a club and would prove to be an invaluable addition to a squad that wants to compete on both domestic and European fronts.
The 33-year-old striker has bucket loads of experience of playing in the Champions League and that is something that not many in the current squad can claim to have. His experience, explosive burst of pace and ability to finish make him a perfect addition for the Reds.
Another reason why the Reds should move for him is the simple fact that he would be a no-risk signing. Should Eto’o come good and score 10-15 goals for the Reds, then he’d have a done a job for them. Even if he doesn’t, it isn’t going to cost the Reds at all and experience of the ilk that Eto’o possesses isn’t something that is readily available these days. So Brendan Rodgers should move swiftly to swoop in and sign the Cameroonian striker who will be of great use to the Reds this season.